Chapter 23
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I wake up the next morning to find Sena filling my entire field of vision.
I must have fallen asleep while she was embracing me, as I find myself perfectly nestled in her arms.
「Mmm…」
Perhaps because I hurriedly try to extricate myself from her arms, the sleeping Sena lets out a somewhat sensual moan.
Thinking better of waking her, I remain still until she rouses on her own a short while later.
Rubbing her eyes, the first thing she says is:
「Ichiro?」
The very first thing out of her mouth is my name.
「Yeah, it’s me. I’m right here.」
Sena lowers her voice a bit and says,
「Good morning.」
Although I feel a tinge of embarrassment facing Sena, I’m grateful for her natural demeanor.
「Good morning,」 I reply in kind.
「I’m hungry.」
What I’m hit with from Sena is an abrupt declaration of hunger.
「Really, first thing in the morning?」
Well, she’s probably just trying to act normal so I don’t feel self-conscious.
「Come on, hurry up and start preparing breakfast.」
Seeing her urging me to get cooking, I reconsider – she’s not actually being considerate of me, she’s just genuinely hungry.
「Leave it to me. I’ve got eggs in my magic bag, so I’ll whip up an omurice.」
「Omurice… You know me well, Ichiro. Make mine a large portion, okay?」
I’m overflowing with gratitude toward her.
If a large portion is all it takes to repay her even a little…
「Sure thing. Wash your face and brush your teeth first though.」
And so another day begins.
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「Ichiro, pass.」
「Phew…」
I abruptly switch from standing stake breathing to regular breathing.
There’s a puddle on the ground. All my sweat, of course.
I straighten up from my lowered stance and wipe the sweat with a towel Sena hands me.
「Your training is progressing faster than anticipated.」
A good amount of time has passed since we started training, and it seems the results are fairly good so far.
The first step is becoming able to sense the qi within your body.
Next is learning to freely move that qi around inside your body.
I’ve cleared these two steps.
「It’s because my teaching methods are so good.」
Her teaching being good – that’s certainly not wrong, I suppose.
But more than her methods, she’s way more spartan than her looks would suggest.
She subjects me to extremely harsh training, saying things like 「Don’t worry, you won’t die」 and 「Complaining is just the starting line. Keep going for three more hours.」
By the way, she said that last line after I had already been going nonstop for a full day.
Furthermore, her 「three more hours」 was not at all just three hours. She tells me the same line again after those three hours are up.
As I’m lost in thoughts of hell training with her-
「What?」
Sena narrows her eyes at me.
「No, no, no! It’s nothing! Really! Nothing at all!」
There are many times I suspect she’s reading my mind, but if she really could, I’d have to die (I think some people have considered that if their thoughts were exposed they would absolutely die), so I try not to think about it.
「Well, whatever. Follow me.」 She turns her back to me and heads from the hut to a nearby wasteland.
I don’t know how it’s possible, but the place Sena leads me to is a rocky area with huge boulders strewn about.
Sena beckons me to approach the largest rock, apparently having reached her intended destination.
「I’m going to hide behind this rock.」
Her statements often lack sufficient explanation.
「I believe being behind this rock will allow you to clearly understand what the next stage of your training entails.」
The hemispherical rock is at least three meters tall, enough to completely conceal her form behind it. In terms of weight, it’s not so heavy that I couldn’t carry it, but using common sense, it must weigh a ton.
「What should I do?」
「Don’t worry. I’ll explain now. There’s a pack at the entrance to the forest area where we usually gather supplies. They’re wary, so they’d run away if I appeared.」
I don’t ask how she knows that.
Because it’s Sena. Her detection abilities far surpass even mine.
「I want you to go there now. Lure just one of them back here, to this exact spot.」
With those instructions, she points to a specific location.
「So I just need to bring one here?」
「That’s right. I’ll be waiting directly on the opposite side of the rock. So Ichiro, please go quickly.」
Urged on by her, I dash off.
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Look, I’m not saying it’s impossible.
But I do think it’s going to be a real pain in the ass of a mission.
Just as Sena said, they’re near the entrance to the forest area.
The origin of their name is said to come from the story that they bury the humans they encounter and carry them off to heaven, and the fact that they have wings like birds.
But contrary to the name, they’re not gentle at all. Angel Wolves fly through the air with nimble movements to attack.
Moreover, being wolves, they usually act in packs.
This time is no exception, with a group of five.
「Ahhh! Damn it! What a hassle!」
I grumble as I start knocking the ones swooping at me baring their fangs out of the sky one by one with shuriken.
When only two remain, one of them howls 「GAAAAAAH!」 and fires a beam(?) from its mouth.
I roll on the ground to dodge, then dash in to get close to the nearer Angel Wolf.
Evading the fangs it bares at me with a roar, I grab its wing and kick it high into the sky with both feet. The wing is torn to shreds and its body vanishes into the distance.
Finally down to one, I turn my back on the Angel Wolf and start running.
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Glancing behind to make sure it’s following, I spot the conspicuously large rock ahead.
「I brought it!」
As soon as I give word,
「I know,」 Sena replies from behind the rock.
The induction point she specified is directly on the opposite side of the boulder from her.
Just as the Angel Wolf is about to pass that spot, I sense Sena’s qi rising and being released.
Soon the Angel Wolf lets out an unearthly scream, convulses, vomits blood and dies.
It reminds me of when Sena killed that boar(?) in one strike, but this time she didn’t even touch it.
Sena emerges from behind the rock with small, steady steps.
A butterfly that had been resting its wings on the rock takes off into the sky, unconcerned.
「The person who taught me this technique called it the ‘Stinger’.」
That’s right, Sena’s qi passed through the rock and struck the Angel Wolf. But that alone isn’t───
「Yes, exactly. You understand well. The qi that penetrates through and reaches the target permeates its insides, vibrates, wreaks destruction, and ceases its life functions.」
I feel a shudder run through my body.
Sena didn’t use any skills or mana at all.
This is a pinnacle of qi technique.
I want to master this power too.
Seeing my determined expression, Sena exhales a smug 「hmph.」
「No problem. I know what you’re thinking, Ichiro. Let’s work even harder starting tomorrow.」
Oh crap!
At her declaration, I take off running to escape.
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It goes without saying that I’m quickly caught.
But a completely separate issue crops up at just the right time.
It’s an urgent and pressing problem.
Somehow, we’ve used up almost all of the seasonings and ingredients I had packed full in my magic bag.
「That’s weird. I could’ve sworn I had the magic bag totally full…」 I mutter, glancing at Sena, who quickly averts her eyes.
Regardless, a shopping trip is now inevitable.
Even setting aside the amount Sena eats, it was always going to be necessary at some point.
Prompted by the need to restock supplies, I end up heading back down to the lower realm once again.
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